Delta Pet Policy International: Fees, Banned Routes and Paperwork (2026 Guide)

Delta pet policy international means the rules Delta Air Lines applies to dogs and cats flying on routes outside the United States. As of September 2026, small dogs and cats that meet Delta's age, health and kennel rules can fly in the cabin on most international routes for $200 USD/CAD/EUR each way. Pets cannot fly in the cabin to or from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Africa, the UAE and several other places. Delta does not accept pets as checked baggage except for military and diplomatic families.

This guide sets out Delta's official rules on fees, banned routes, kennels and booking. It then covers the government paperwork that decides whether your pet can actually enter the destination country, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), the European Union and Ireland. Where Delta's own pages disagree, we say so.

What is Delta's international pet policy?

Delta allows dogs and cats to travel in the cabin, under the seat in front of you, on international flights. The customer must hold all documentation required for the pet to enter the destination and return to their country of origin, according to Delta's Pet Travel Overview page (Delta Air Lines, 2026). Household birds may travel only on domestic U.S. flights, according to Delta's agency pet policy page for travel agents (Delta Professional, 2026).

Delta offers three ways for an animal to travel:

• In the cabin (PETC): small dogs and cats in an under-seat kennel. This is the only option for most international travellers.
• Checked baggage (AVIH): limited to active U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officers, and their spouses, who have transfer orders (Delta Professional, 2026).
• Delta Cargo: a separate freight booking. Delta Cargo only accepts international pet shipments from known shippers and suggests using a member of the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) (Delta Professional, 2026).

How much does Delta charge for pets on international flights?

Delta charges $200 USD/CAD/EUR each way for an in-cabin pet on international routes, and the fee is collected at check-in (Delta Air Lines Pet Travel Overview, 2026). Delta charges the Canadian dollar amount when you depart from Canada and the euro amount when you depart from Europe. The fee is set by the contract of carriage in force on the date your ticket was issued.

Delta's sources do not all agree. The consumer Pet Travel Overview gives $150 for U.S. and Canada in-cabin travel. The agency page lists $200 within the U.S. in its checked-pet section, and it gives the pre-April 2025 Brazil fee as $150 where the consumer page says $75. The international in-cabin fee of $200 is the same on both pages. Delta's agency page also notes that fees are subject to change.

Where does Delta not allow pets in the cabin?

As of September 2026, Delta's Pet Travel Overview says pets are not permitted in the cabin on travel to or from:

• Australia
• Barbados
• Brazil, Colombia and the Dominican Republic (no pets on trips that start in these countries)
• Hawaii (no pets on flights to Hawaii)
• Hong Kong
• Iceland
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• United Kingdom
• United Arab Emirates

The route rules come with a few details:

• Brazil and Colombia: the ban on pets starting their trip in these countries applies to tickets bought on or after June 7, 2021 (Delta Professional, 2026). Pets that start the trip in the U.S. can return from Brazil or Colombia.
• Dominican Republic: the ban took effect January 24, 2025. Pets that started the trip in the U.S. may complete the return flight if they meet CDC rules.
• Egypt: Delta has a temporary embargo on pet travel to and from Egypt, tied to a CDC ban on dogs travelling from Egypt (Delta International Pet Travel page, 2026).
• United Kingdom: Delta says it will not accept any live animals as checked or carry-on baggage to or from the UK. Trained service dogs can fly to London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester with pre-approval from the Animal Reception Centre at the destination airport.

Does Delta allow pets in the cabin to Ireland?

Delta's pages disagree. Delta's agency pet policy page lists Ireland among destinations with no in-cabin pets (Delta Professional, 2026). Delta's consumer Pet Travel Overview does not list Ireland. Delta's International Pet Travel page tells cabin passengers flying to the Republic of Ireland to notify Ireland's Department of Agriculture in advance. Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) says it has no objection to pets in the cabin and that the ultimate decision on where in the plane an animal travels is up to the airline (DAFM, updated August 2026). Confirm directly with Delta Reservations before you book an Ireland itinerary.

Delta in-cabin rules: age, kennel size and seating

Minimum age

Delta's Pet Travel Overview (2026) sets these minimum ages:

• 8 weeks for domestic travel
• 6 months for a dog entering the U.S. from another country, and 16 weeks for a cat
• 15 weeks for travel to the European Union

Kennel requirements

The kennel must fit completely under the seat in front of you, and the pet must be able to move around without touching or sticking out of the sides. Delta recommends a soft-sided kennel no larger than 18 x 11 x 11 inches, which fits most aircraft. Delta's consumer page says soft-sided kennels need ventilation on 3 sides for domestic travel and 4 sides for international travel. Delta's kennel requirements page and agency page say kennels must be ventilated on at least 2 sides. To be safe, use a kennel that meets the stricter four-sided rule.

You can bring one pet kennel plus either one personal item or one carry-on bag. One pet goes in each kennel, with two exceptions. A mother can travel with her unweaned litter. Two compatible pets of the same breed and size, aged 8 weeks to 6 months, can share one kennel and are charged as one pet.

Cabin limits and seats

That table comes from Delta's Pet Travel Overview (2026). Delta's agency page adds an exception: it accepts in-cabin pets in international Business and First Class on aircraft without flat-bed seats. You also cannot sit in a bulkhead row, an exit row, a seat with no under-seat storage, or rows 46 to 51 on the A330-200 and 54 to 59 on the A330-300.

How to book a pet on a Delta international flight

1. Check that your route is allowed. Compare your origin, destination and any connection against Delta's no-cabin list above.
2. Contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian early. USDA APHIS advises contacting one as soon as you decide to travel to work out the destination country's entry requirements (USDA APHIS, last modified March 20, 2026).
3. Book your own ticket, then call Delta Reservations. Delta accepts pets first come, first served, with a limit per flight. Have your kennel's length, width and height ready when you call.
4. Check any partner airline's policy. On codeshare flights run by Air France, KLM, Aeromexico, Korean Air, LATAM or Virgin Atlantic, the operating airline's pet rules apply (Delta Professional, 2026). Delta says live animals are prohibited on SkyWest and Endeavor Air flights operating outside the U.S., except to Canada.
5. Check in at the Special Service Counter. An agent checks the pet, the kennel and the paperwork and collects the fee. At security you must take the pet out of the kennel. After that it has to stay in the kennel, including in Delta Sky Club lounges.

Government paperwork Delta expects you to carry

Delta does not issue pet travel documents. It expects you to meet the entry rules of each country on your trip. The main rules are below.

Dogs entering or returning to the United States (CDC)

The CDC is the main U.S. authority for dog imports, according to USDA APHIS (2026). Under CDC rules in force since August 1, 2024, every dog entering the U.S. must be at least 6 months old, be microchipped, appear healthy and arrive with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Extra documents depend on where the dog was vaccinated and whether it has been in a high-risk rabies country in the previous 6 months (CDC, 2024). A U.S.-vaccinated dog returning from a high-risk country needs a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination, completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian before the dog leaves the U.S. (USDA APHIS, 2026).

Pets entering the European Union

According to the European Union's Your Europe portal, a dog, cat or ferret entering the EU from a non-EU country needs:

• a microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination
• a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or older, followed by a wait of at least 21 days
• an EU animal health certificate issued by an official state veterinarian no more than 10 days before arrival
• a rabies antibody titre test, if the pet is coming from a country the EU requires it for
• tapeworm treatment for dogs 24 to 120 hours before arrival in Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland

Pets must enter through a designated travellers' point of entry. The current EU framework is Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, which Ireland's DAFM cites. Delta's International Pet Travel page still cites the older Regulation (EC) No 998/2003, so rely on official EU sources for current requirements.

Mexico: New World screwworm certificate

From August 3, 2026, all dogs entering Mexico must have a New World screwworm inspection certificate completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian. It must be issued no more than 5 days before arrival, and Delta checks it at check-in (Delta Air Lines, 2026). USDA APHIS also requires a screwworm inspection document, issued within 5 days of arrival, for dogs coming to the U.S. from affected countries.

United Kingdom and Ireland

The UK government requires pets entering Great Britain to arrive on an approved route. Pets that do not meet the rules can be quarantined for up to 4 months at the owner's cost (GOV.UK, 2026). Delta does not carry pets on its UK routes, so pet owners flying to Britain need an approved route with another carrier or a licensed pet shipper. Ireland requires advance notice through DAFM's Advance Notice Portal for pets arriving from outside the EU. Those pets must enter through Dublin Airport, Cork Airport, Shannon Airport or a designated port, and they must pass a compliance check on arrival (DAFM, 2026).

Checked pets and Delta Cargo for larger animals

If your pet is too big for an under-seat kennel, the cabin is not an option. Delta allows pets as checked baggage only for active U.S. military and Foreign Service personnel with transfer orders. Even for them, these rules apply (Delta Professional, 2026):

• The pet must be booked at least 48 hours before departure.
• No flight can be longer than 12 hours, and the itinerary can have no more than one connection.
• No checked pets are accepted from May 15 to September 15.
• Snub-nosed dog and cat breeds are not accepted.

Delta Cargo drop-off is at least five hours before an international departure. Forecast temperatures must be between 20°F and 80°F at every point of the journey. Delta does not carry animals as checked baggage or cargo on any Boeing 767 or Airbus A330-200 it operates, or on Boeing 757 flights to or from Europe.

Is an Animal Passport the same as a pet travel passport?

No. Animal Passport is a digital animal and livestock identity record, not a government travel document. It uses muzzle biometrics: a nose print is unique to each animal, like a fingerprint, and is captured with a phone. The record links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age, body condition score and vaccination history. The age estimate comes from a dental photograph and includes a confidence score. The body condition score, on a scale of 1 to 5, comes from a side-profile photograph.

Animal Passport was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan in August 2025, so that farmers could reclaim their animals after paper tags washed away. It is not an EU pet passport, an EU animal health certificate, a USDA-endorsed health certificate or a CDC Dog Import Form. Delta and border officials will not accept it in place of those documents. For airline travel, use the official documents described above. For animal identification and records, especially for farm animals, see more guides on the Animal Passport blog.

Bottom line

As of September 2026, Delta's international pet policy works for owners of small dogs and cats who fly in Delta Main or Delta Comfort on allowed routes and whose paperwork is complete. It does not work for larger pets, for the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Africa or the UAE, or for trips that start in Brazil, Colombia or the Dominican Republic. Rules change often, as the 2025 and 2026 fee changes and the screwworm rules show. Check Delta's pages and the destination government's own pet travel page within a week of departure.

By Animal Passport. Last updated September 30, 2026. This article is general information, not veterinary or legal advice.